The behemoth cruise ships that roll toward Seattle’s skyline belching diesel exhaust each summer can now plug in to power and turn off their engines anywhere they dock.
As the last cruise ships of the season departed Seattle’s shores this month, the Port of Seattle celebrated the completion of its major electricity upgrades at the Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66.
Seattle is now one of the only ports globally that is able to simultaneously power three cruise ships with low-carbon electricity, Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman said.
When plugged in, the Port estimates an 80% reduction in diesel emissions and a 66% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions for cruise ships that would typically idle their engines between sailings to power onboard systems. There are some diesel-powered boilers that remain running even when ships are plugged in.
If every cruise ship that docked this year had connected to shore power, it would have prevented an estimated 11,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases and 300 metric tons of particulate matter emissions, according to the Port.
The $44 million endeavor is funded by cruise revenue and nearly $5 million in grants from the Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Washington, the 2016 Volkswagen emissions scandal settlement and Centralia Coal transition grants, port officials said. Seattle City Light also covered $3.5 million as part of general improvements on the waterfront.
Seattle’s waterfront is undergoing an electric overhaul powered by Seattle City Light, with the Seattle Aquarium’s new fully electric Ocean Pavilion, shore power at Pier 66, work to create the region’s first electric ferry terminal at Colman Dock and power for cargo ships at Terminal 5.
In a typical year, about 40% of Seattle City Light’s power comes from hydroelectric dams on the Skagit and Pend Oreille rivers. The remaining power is largely purchased from the Bonneville Power Administration, which markets and transmits power from dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries.
This year marks the 25th year of cruises between Seattle and Alaska. This season brought in 276 cruise ship port calls and 1.75 million passengers (not including crew), according to the Port. The Port anticipates nearly 300 cruise ship calls with an estimated nearly 2 million passengers next year.
The Port estimates cruises will generate $49 million for its budget in 2025.
Climate groups have long been critical of cruise trips.
Each ship emits an estimated 30 to 40 metric tons of greenhouse gases while idling in Seattle, according to the Port. They also generate sewage and other waste from thousands of passengers and staff aboard, as well as acidic wastewater from scrubbers used to remove pollutants from high-sulfur diesel fuels during their journey.
The cruise lines signed an agreement with the Port of Seattle and the state that bans dumping any wastewater in Washington waters.
The carbon emissions of a cruise ship can vary greatly. One estimate developed by Bryan Comer of the International Council on Clean Transportation found that a passenger on a cruise ship has a carbon footprint about double that of someone who flies and rents a hotel.
The Port of Seattle announced in 2022 it would team up with other ports and cruise lines to create a “green corridor” where the massive ships that carry passengers through the coastal waters of British Columbia and Alaska would eventually operate without fossil fuels.
Cruise ships are powered by fossil fuels. Low- or no-carbon fuels are being studied. The ports and cruise lines involved in the green corridor are carrying out a feasibility study for four methanol-powered vessels between Seattle and Alaska.
Earlier this year, port commissioners passed legislation requiring all ships to use shore power starting in the 2027 season.
This year, about 43% of ships plugged into shore power. According to the Port, 35% of cruise ships used the option in 2023, up from a dip down to 23% in 2022.
Mike Watts, principal of Watts Marine, was approached in the mid-2000s to create a shore power system for cruise ships in Seattle. Watts oversaw the installation of the company’s first shore power systems in North America in Seattle in 2005 and 2006, he said.
The two shore power systems were originally installed at Terminal 30 and were moved to Terminal 91 in 2009 to make way for more cargo ships.
Watts said the third berth, at Pier 66, is capable of delivering 16 megawatts of power if needed, and can be used at the same time as the two other cruise berths along the city’s waterfront. The Port estimates a ship will likely use somewhere from 7 to 10 megawatts during a visit.
The power for the shore power at Pier 66 comes from the substation at Terminal 46 via a more than a mile-long submersible cable.
“The equipment for shore power is now in great demand around the world, because we see ports around the world following our lead,” said Stephanie Jones Stebbins, the Port’s maritime director. “We see local Seattle firms really not only leading the way with their innovation, but benefiting from that.”
Material from The Seattle Times archives was used in this story.
Isabella Breda: 206-652-6536 or ibreda@seattletimes.com. Seattle Times staff reporter Isabella Breda covers the environment.
Link to the original Seattle Times Article:
Comments